Creating communities of life science innovation in the US: History of critical factors that helped the BioHealth Capital Region emerge

Abstract

Background: Advancements in biotechnology are recognized as one of the most important scientific achievements of the 20th Century. The emergence of biotechnology profoundly impacted the health of the world, and the economic vitality of regions where bio clusters and bioresearch parks grew. This article explores some of the historical and policy implications undergirding this development in the United States and the importance of alignment of life science research activity, public policies, and leadership to build place-based communities of biotechnology innovation. Discussion: The real scientific advances in biotechnology research are beyond the scope of this paper. Instead, this paper will review the growth of team science, the historical factors supporting the growth of the technology sectors with an emphasis on biotech clusters and bioresearch parks, and policies and programs in the 20th Century that helped launch the 21st Bio Century. We conclude with a ranking of the leading biotech clusters in the US, the factors supporting bio clusters, with a case study of the emergence of the multi-jurisdictional BioHealth Capital Region in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. Conclusion: Regions that coordinate life science research at anchor institutions, take advantage of supportive federal policies, spur local bio innovation incentives, and foster private leadership will be those that advance faster and farther in bio health economic development. Beyond the advantages of local economic development, an agile and responsive biohealth cluster can spur global health solutions. The unprecedented speed and international cooperation, as the responses to the need for Covid19 vaccine development, and distribution have demonstrated to the world, can be applied more broadly for other health needs and broadter technology solutions. Learning from successful case studies of leading regional biohealth clusters, particularly the Capital Region BioHealth cluster, should be of interest to policymakers, public health officials, and economic development practitioners across the United States.